The Magnificent Seven - 6 Tower Hamlets
Due to overcrowding in London's parish churchyards during the early 19th century, seven private cemeteries were build. They became known as the Magnificent Seven.
These were much larger suburban burial areas just outside the city centre. Christopher Wren said that they should be "inclosed with a strong Brick Wall, and having a walk round, and two cross walks, decently planted with Yew-trees."
They were all established within ten years following an 1832 act of Parliament. The cemeteries are:
- Kensal Green Cemetery - 1833
- West Norwood Cemetery - 1837
- Highgate Cemetery - West 1839 East 1854
- Abney Park Cemetery - 1840
- Brompton Cemetery - 1840
- Nunhead Cemetery - 1840
- Tower Hamlets Cemetery - 1841
I decided to visit all seven on separate runs. I was tempted to try and do them all in one go, but didn't fancy a whole day in graveyards.
TOWER HAMLETS
A shorter one today. 10K from Lewisham on the other side of the River Thames is Tower Hamlets Cemetery, known as Bow Cemetery by locals.
The site is also a nature reserve and when I visited in early April was replete with spring flowers and singing birds.
The cemetery was very popular with people from the East End and in the first 50 years 247,000 interments occurred. Some were buried together in graves containing up to 30 unrelated people. There are now over 350,000 interments.
The cemetery was bombed during the war and many parts are in a state of neglect.
Two notable graves include one to children from Barnado homes, many of whom are buried throughout the cemetery in unmarked graves. Also one to victims of the Blitz. The memorial is made of bricks from bombed houses.
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| Barnado children memorial |
